The present invention relates to industrial laundry washing machines, and more particularly to manually operated chutes that assist in the loading of laundry machines.
Industrial washing machines are particularly large, heavy units in which significant loads of linens (linens being a generic term used to refer to the various sorts of items typically washed in an industrial washing machine, such as bedding, towels, uniforms, etc) are washed at one time. Due to the large size and weight of the laundry machines, loading and unloading them is an arduous task, typically assisted by means of a hydraulic assembly that pivots the laundry machines between load, wash, and unload positions. These hydraulic assemblies, in turn, must be powerful units due to the significant weight associated with the machine itself. In addition to the pivotal movement of the machines, their large size typically results in the loading/unloading door to be positioned at a height that is higher than an average person's standing reach, thus requiring workers to stand on platforms to perform the loading and unloading tasks. The platforms add an obvious additional danger to the laundering process.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a manually operated chute to assist in the loading of an industrial washing machine.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a manually operated chute that may be quickly and easily moved from one washing station to another.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.